Internships

José Alves '12

José envisioned himself one day employed by one of the four major accounting firms in the U.S. - "the Big Four." So in the summer leading up to his senior year at Emmanuel, he decided to start the process and get his foot in the door.

José was tireless in his research and preparation, learning about each of the firms and determining which would be the best fit for him. When he came across internship opportunities at KPMG, he connected with members of Emmanuel's Career Center, who helped to shape his résumé and prepare him for the interview process.

In the end, all the hard work paid off. José was not only offered a spot in KPMG's highly competitive internship program during the spring of his senior year, he also landed a full-time job offer, which officially began this winter.

"Before, I thought 'Wow, the Big Four, maybe someday I'll get there,'" said José. "For me to be there now shows the quality of an Emmanuel education."

While a student, José delved into a challenging course load that included financial accounting, auditing and assurance services, and federal income taxes, all of which provided him with the background to excel at KPMG. Yet it was more than the classroom experience that prepared him for the Big Four. He credits the relationships he built and the skills he gained through ICD for one.

"I was constantly there," he said of the Career Center. "The staff guides you and provides you with the resources. I learned a great deal from working with them."

José also praises the connections he made with his professors, who realized what an amazing opportunity the internship was. They helped to ensure he could balance the workload of being a full-time student while working 40 hours a week for the firm, sometimes commuting to and from audit sites throughout the Greater Boston area.

During his three-month internship, José worked on three different projects, working with a senior manager on the audit team. He says the experience was fast-paced and intense, with evaluations occurring on a weekly basis. Yet the experience also provided great insight into his future career.

"It was wonderful," he said. "I gave it my best and it showed me a lot about where I'm going [professionally]."

José says he is proud of the trail he has blazed for today's Emmanuel students and hopes to return to the College to recruit more students for KPMG's internship program.

"If an Emmanuel student wants to go to the Big Four, they can get there," he said. "Emmanuel will provide you with the tools, you just have to put in the work."